Brooks to face phone hacking charge

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is due to appear in court to face charges linked to alleged phone hacking.

The 44-year-old is due before Westminster Magistrates' Court accused over an alleged conspiracy to illegally access voicemails.

She faces one general charge, which prosecutors claim could affect more than 600 victims, and two other specific charges linked to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and former union boss Andrew Gilchrist.

Brooks has been accused alongside six other former members of staff from the now-defunct tabloid the News of the World (NoTW) and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

Former NoTW editor, and ex-spin doctor for David Cameron, Andy Coulson has been charged, along with ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, former news editor Greg Miskiw, former head of news Ian Edmondson, ex-chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and former reporter James Weatherup.

They all appeared at the same court earlier this month and are next due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 26.

Brooks, from Churchill, Oxfordshire, is already due up at that court on the same day to face three charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

This relates to the alleged removal of boxes of material from the News International archive and trying to conceal documents, computers and other material from police.